conclusive
Americanadjective
-
serving to settle or decide a question; decisive; convincing.
conclusive evidence.
- Synonyms:
- definitive
-
tending to terminate; closing.
adjective
-
putting an end to doubt; decisive; final
-
approaching or involving an end or conclusion
Other Word Forms
- conclusively adverb
- conclusiveness noun
- nonconclusive adjective
- nonconclusively adverb
- nonconclusiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of conclusive
1580–90; < Late Latin conclūsīvus, equivalent to Latin conclūs ( us ) (past participle of conclūdere to conclude; conclusion ) + -īvus -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Too much time spent on Marty’s mother or his fierce opponent would distract from the film’s momentum, reducing it to simply a sports movie, and not a conclusive treatise on the cruelty of desire.
From Salon
Research also suggests that elderly patients are more likely to have a heart attack following an infection - although it is less conclusive.
From BBC
Replays show a tiny scratch on the technology, though nothing conclusive to suggest the TV umpire would have overturned the on-field decision.
From BBC
The ingredient guaifenesin, for instance, is claimed to loosen phlegm, but this lacks conclusive proof.
From BBC
DNA traces were discovered on the airbag – and became the conclusive proof that Challis was at the wheel at the time of the crash.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.